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My cat has a swollen lip for a week. Is it serious? What to do?

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Cat | Mixed Breed | Male | neutered | 2 years and 7 months old | 17 lbs

Hello, my cat has A swollen lip for about a week now. He's spending half of the day outside the house. What can it be? And what can we do to help him?

3 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

Dr. Strydom, DVM

Answered By Dr. Strydom, DVM

Veterinarian

Published on March 5th, 2020

Any lumps/bumps that you notice on your pet should be checked out by your vet. Lumps in this location can be any of these things:

* abscess (infection)
* cyst
* cancer (benign or malignant)
* rodent ulcer

I suggest you find a vet to take him to for an examination. There are no home treatments for any of these possibilities. Also, treatment depends on what the lump is - all those possibilities have different treatments.
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Related Answers from Veterinarians

  • Answered By Lindsey Edwards MVB, BSc, IVCA

    Veterinarian

    Published on January 26th, 2019

    This could be a temporary inflammatory reaction -0 either to trauma or contact irritation. If he is otherwise well and is not in pain I would wait 72hours to see if it starts to dry up and reduce in size. If it is increasing or still moist at this stage then a vet check would be recommended

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    1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

  • Answered By Cara, DVM, cVMA

    Veterinarian

    Published on July 13th, 2017

    Without a picture it's difficult to guess, but lip swelling can be a rodent ulcer, which is usually due to an allergy. Make sure Leonardo is on flea prevention and you can also try switching his water and food bowls to a different material. If it doesn't go away you should see a vet as he may need further treatment.

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    1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

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